Gothamist: Selling The Hooch All Week Long

Amy Langfield

Wed, 29 Sep 2004 10:43:46 -0500

Just to clarify, the law is indeed new and only went into effect in August. Wine Spectator just did a story on it yesterday. Here are the relvant grafs: New York had already passed a bill last year that permitted Sunday sales, as long as liquor stores closed on another day of the week. But that latter provision was difficult for the state liquor authority to verify. Plus another law prevented liquor store employees from entering the shops on days they were closed, making it difficult to meet with distributors, receive deliveries and perform other routine chores. The new legislation, signed by Gov. George Pataki in August, allows stores to be open seven days a week and eases the restrictions on liquor store employees. According to the Distilled Spirits Council, a national trade association that lobbies for Sunday sales, liquor sales in New York increased 6 percent last year after the Sunday ban was lifted. "It makes good business sense to bring New York's spirits marketplace into the modern era, where Sunday is now the second busiest shopping day of the week," the council's president, Peter Cressy, said in a statement.

kc

Fri, 24 Sep 2004 13:53:14 -0500

Actually, the open Sunday liquor store thing has been around for a bit, but most liquor stores in NYC are still closed. I tried a few months ago to go to 4 in my neighborhood on a Sunday with no luck. So - I went online and found this: http://www.manhattanusersguide.com/archives_content.php?contentID=021804&category=food There's a nice one in Williamsburg on the Graham Ave stop that's not listed.

corie

Fri, 24 Sep 2004 13:38:38 -0500

I noticed this at my local liquor store, as well. It's great that you can buy more than beer after 12pm and Long Island wine now.

Ann

Fri, 24 Sep 2004 13:35:38 -0500

Aren't you late with this? I swear the law started sometime last year (used to work in the restaurant industry, so I knew all the food/alcohol gossip), but most shops opted to stay closed on Sundays because they were so used to it.

Bill Anderson

Fri, 24 Sep 2004 13:13:32 -0500

Jen, the 7 day rule is cool, but did you also notice the regulation about being able to take an unfinished bottle of wine with you after dinner (n.b., PDF file)? This I like!

Karol

Fri, 24 Sep 2004 12:58:14 -0500

Liquor stores are actually upset about this. They don't want to be open 7 days a week and they don't like that their competition might be.

tien

Fri, 24 Sep 2004 12:16:58 -0500

i was wondering - because i noticed my local store was open sunday but didn't say anything about being closed on another day of the week, which the last provision called for.